Wikinews international report: "Anonymous" holds anti-Scientology protests worldwide

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Sunday, February 10, 2008 

The Internet group Anonymous today held protests, critical of the religious group Church of Scientology and marking what would have been the 49th birthday of Lisa McPherson, who is claimed to be a victim of the Church of Scientology's practices. Lisa died in 1995 during a running of what Scientologists refer to as an Introspection Rundown, a procedure intended to help Church members deal with psychotic or deeply traumatic event. Protests are planned throughout the day in over 250 cities worldwide.

Wikinews had correspondents in a number of protest locations to report on the events. This article will update with reports as they come in!

Location Reports

London, England

Correspondents: Skenmy and Adambro

At midday there were approximately 300 people taking part in the protest and there is a heavy police presence. A road has been closed as a result of the protest.

Wikinews has learned that at least one person not affiliated with Anonymous was detained and questioned by police.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Correspondent: Meekel

Brussels, Belgium

Correspondent: Brian McNeil

The Brussels protest organisers decided to take things one step further than the "mask" dress code - and introduce a formal dress code of "Black, and Red Tie". Upon further investigation prior to the event, Wikinews discovered that many of the protesters were considering it to be tuxedo dress with sunglasses and hats. The latter is the extent to which Belgian law allows concealing your identity, no masks or other complete concealment is permitted.

Saturday saw the start of press coverage for the event with Dutch-language national paper De Morgen devoting four columns in their reporter section to the protest and events that led up to it. Lisa McPherson, Tom Cruise, and John Sweeney were all covered along with images of the "Anonymous" advertising poster and the European Church of Scientology HQ in the Brussels city centre.

Buffalo, New York, USA

Correspondent(s): DragonFire1024

New York City, New York, USA

Correspondent(s): David Shankbone

Ottawa, Canada

Correspondent: Editor at Large

Los Angeles, California, USA

Correspondent: IlyaHaykinson

Brisbane, Australia

Brisbane Gallery

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Melbourne, Australia

In a video posted on YouTube, at least 75 to 100 protesters can be heard chanting "Xenu, Xenu, Xenu" as they protest across the street from the Church. Cars driving by honk their horns in support of the protesters. Police can be seen parked in front of the Church.

• exscn. "Melbourne protest of Scientology (Video)" — YouTube, February 10, 2008

Sydney, Australia

Correspondent: Wazza

A worldwide day of protests against the Church of Scientology has begun in Sydney. A crowd of about 800 turned out to protest against the Church and its alleged violations of human rights. The group Anonymous, who organized the rally, were handing out fliers to passers-by, and led various anti-Scientology chants by the crowd. The principal allegations made at the rally towards Scientology were the lack of freedom within the Church, and the excessive cost of their courses, which they believe doesn't warrant tax-exempt status. The Church of Scientology was approached by the author for a response to the claims after the rally, but the church refused to comment.

• Tub3dYou. "Scientology: Anonymous picket in Sydney" — YouTube.com, February 10, 2008

Sydney Photo Gallery

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Phoenix, Arizona

Correspondent: Bjweeks

Honolulu, Hawaii

Correspondent: Anon808

Vienna, Austria

Anonymous protesters faced threat of the police to be arrested for standing there quietly

Noon local time. A group of people (approx. 10-12) met in front of the Scientology Center in Capistrangasse in Vienna's 6th district. Peacefully and quiet did they watch the other people around the place, a bit apart from them: some police in uniform, and people with cameras taking pictures and filming them. A young person came to the protesters, and asked for information about what is going on. Very friendly one started to explain, why they are here. Most protesters were dressed in black suits, with red ties, most of them unmasked with bare faces and in their 20-ies, even without sunglasses. No weapons of course, no signs, no chanting, not even paroles, nothing. Pure best manners from top to toe, all the time from the protesters.

Then a fully masked person (just one eye free) came and handed out fliers to the protesters. The fliers did promote a website, which claims to be critical of Scientology, but true critics are suspicious about it being a fake critical website. (To tell more would create a wiki-war, and the correspondent does want to avoid that). Shortly after that, a man, accompanied by another one, both dressed in allday-suits, did read a note from a paper, which he called an official paper addressed to the protesters. He said, he is an official and from the governmental community and does order them to leave this place in five minutes, otherwise they be arrested. There was no reason for this, because everything was quiet, there was absolutely no disturbance. A protester asked the official, why he does not want the people to stand here and discuss something peacefully and the officer said, that the demonstration has not been announced at the offices and therefore they have to leave, because this is forbidden. The protester asked, what is forbidden? To stand there and talk with each others? This happened on the street, at a small place in front of the Scientology-building. The "official" said, there were fliers and this shows it is more than a normal meeting and threatened to arrest the person, who had asked. He then demanded her to show him her identity card, otherwise she'd have to come with him. She refused. There was no reason for that. No noise, no violence of course, no megaphones, no paroles, nothing, just some people standing there and talking with each other about Scientology.

The group decided to leave. They said, there was somebody, who did announce the event at the police, as is legally necessary, but that person did not show up, so the group did not have evidence that they had announced it correctly. The group does have the authority-ID-number of the official. And they did save it several times.

The group has decided, to continue to peacefully and legally inform society about the dangers of the Scientology-Organisation.

Vienna is the capital of Austria, a small country in the middle of Europe. Austria is part of the European Community.

Austria has a democratic constitution.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Correspondent(s): Observer

Updates coming soon.

The Internet

Correspondents:Anonymous101

Although there was no official protest on the internet, thousands of people supported Anonymous by subscribing to the channel on the online video sharing site YouTube, where the numbers for the channel have doubled in 24 hours, making it the most subscribed channel on YouTube this month. However, there have also been a few comments against the protests and "Anonymous" in the comments section of the channel.

Other locations

The protests were not confined to the above locations, however. Below is a selection of photos from other protests around the world.

Were you at one of the protests? Please consider releasing your photos for use on Wikinews - see this page for more information on releasing it to us!

Related news

• "100 turn out in Orlando, Florida for "Anonymous" protest against Church of Scientology" — Wikinews, February 4, 2008
• ""Anonymous" plans to protest Church of Scientology on February 10" — Wikinews, February 3, 2008
• ""Anonymous" releases statements outlining "War on Scientology"" — Wikinews, January 24, 2008

Sources

• Murray Whyte. "Anons plan `polite' church protest" — Toronto Star, February 10, 2008
• Mark Stead. "Protesters in 'church' fight" — York Press, February 10, 2008
• Jill Pengelley. "Protesters picket Scientology" — The Advertiser (Adelaide), February 10, 2008
• Andrew Ramadge. "Scientology protests begin in Australia" — Melbourne Herald Sun, February 10, 2008
• dr3k. "February 10th Videos" — exscn.net, February 10, 2008